The country's most famous event is Carnival which lasts for 4 days and nights
prior to Ash Wednesday with endless exotic parades, balls and parties. The one
held in Rio is more glamorous than other parts of the country. They celebrate it
with drums, dancing and singing in the streets in an explosion of color and
costumes. Schools and businesses close as the whole country shuts down for wild
celebrations and months of preparation is on the display. Accommodation at
Carnival is a tough job; hotels charge up to 3 times the normal rate for a 4 or
5 night mandatory package.

The origin and history of the carnival lies in the ancient Portuguese and
African traditions, and introduced in Brazil around 1723 and has dramatically
transformed since then. The SAMBA comes from the West African heritage of
Brazil, with energetic rhythms and drums even those who are watching start
dancing. Carnival has evolved into two distinct creatures:- the street carnival
and the "Parade of Schools" in the Sambadrome. 16 top samba schools each have
their hour of glory. Carnival ends on "Mardi Gras" Tuesday. There are festivals
taking place all year round in Brazil but nothing compares to the Carnival. It
is one of the biggest and most fantastic party.

Sex has always been a concern among authorities and they try their best to
prevent Rio from becoming a tourism destination for prostitution, and the crime
associated with it. The government distributes millions of free condoms
during the carnival time. NOT all sex in the city of Rio de Janeiro is legal.
Brazilians say the nakedness at carnival is more about sensuality and aesthetic
appreciation.

UPDATE: Rio De Janeiro Carnival 2008: The
year 2008 Rio Carnival takes place on the first five days of February this
year.

Even though Rio has a bad reputation for violence and drugs, for most people
Carnival is truly the best thing you can ever do in Brazil. For people who do
not understand or speak Portuguese it is further more important to plan your
trip in advance and what to expect. Top carnival groups gather around the
hillside shantytowns for weekly rehearsals without all the glitter, many
foreigners who plan to participate in the function come here too and practice.
You should consider booking the hotel in much advance. Many people like go do
everything through the travel agent for a sense of security and most of them
also provided transportation to and from the Sambadrome stadium.

#1. Party on the streets with behind one of the many "bandas"
and "blocos" which are small local groups and celebrate on the streets.
This is the cheapest way to enjoy carnival but many foreign consider it not too
safe. Bandas play old/past hits while the "blocos" compose new songs and
repeat them. The Banda Ipanema carnival band is particularly famous the gay
community and on the Ipanema beach they perform on the Thursday and Saturday.
The blocos ( like Carmelitas bloco) are also very famous. The traditional Cordao
de Bola Preta is popular among families and children.

#2. Sambadrome stadium: Most important - Tickets must be purchased months
in advance to watch from the stands. It has a capacity of about 88,500 people.
Although you need not know Samba to enjoy, but its the best to learn atleast a
bit to fully enjoy the celebrations. Here the top 12 groups perform for 80
minutes each accompanied by drummers, dancers and over-the-top parade floats.
The tickets sell out much in advance but they can be purchased from travel
agents for a premium price. It is advisable to leave your valuables behind and
just get little pocket money to the parade.

#3. Participate in real Samba: Many larger samba groups do allow
tourists to be a part of their contingents provided you wear their "fantasias"
(or their costume). The costumes typically cost from a few hundred dollars to
even more than thousand and can be purchased via the internet or in some of the
bigger hotels of the city. Just that after your group marches out of the Stadium
there is almost no chance to go back in the Stadium and enjoy rest of the
function, but you can watch on the TV or participate in the Street Carnival (as
mentioned in the #2).TRANSPORTATION:
In Brazil, most interstate transportation is done by road. In Rio de Janeiro,
buses are the main means of mass transportation. Rio de Janeiro has two subway
lines (Metro Rio) and several commuter rail lines.

CAUTION / SAFETY:
Most visits to Brazil are trouble-free but keep in mind that Rio has large
disparities between rich and poor. The worst of the poorer areas are known as 'favelas'
and are troubled by widespread drug-related crime, gang warfare and lack of
sanitation and other issues. Try to take taxis belonging to the airport's own
service. Tourists should be careful going out after dark. Precaution and
Immunization should be taken with Yellow fever, typhoid, Malaria and Cholera so
health insurance for Brazil is recommended. You should drink bottled water, eat
proper cooked food and boiled milk. Readers are advised to visit US Department
of State Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel and http://travel.state.gov/travel/brazil.html
for safety and travel guidelines.
Even though you will find hotels of all budgets, you should prefer safety over
the price.

What does Carnival Mean?
Carnival derives from "carne vale" meaning "farewell to meat" (40
meatless fasting days preceding Easter). It can take over an hour for a
single samba school to pass. Only the best 14 samba schools parade
through the big-time Sambodromo which is a 700-meter (half-mile) long
parade strip.

Tip of the day
Tip #9. Your immunizations should be up-to-date especially when traveling to Asia or Africa.
Consult you doctor and keep some medication with your while traveling.
Keep prescriptions given by your doctor in case the local authorities question you regarding the
medicines you carry.
Immunizations and prescriptions for preventative medications can help to ensure a healthy trip.